Combined signal lamp and resistor



March 27, 1956 E. A. BOGUE ETAL COMBINED SIGNAL LAMP AND RESISTOR Filed Aug. 21, 1952 United States Patent 2,740,111 COMBINED SIGNAL LAMP AND RESISTOR Edward A. Bogue, South Bend, Ind., and Charles W. Musser, Niles, Mich, assignors to ETC, lnc., Niles,

'ch., a corporation of Illinois Application August 21, 1952, Serial'No. 305,668 1 Claim. (Cl. 340-381) Our invention relates to a signal lamp assembly, and more particularly to an assembly of this type which comprises a signal lamp, a resistor, and a supportingenclosure therefor.

An object of our invention is to provide a new and improved structure and arrangement for a signal lamp assembly which facilitates the fabrication, mounting and replacement thereof. In the disclosed embodiment of our invention, the assembly involves a tubular housing element and a base, the structure and arrangement of which are such that a signal lamp and associated resistor, as Well as appropriate connecting terminals, are mounted on the base, and then the base and the tubular housing element are assembled. The structure and arrangement'are also such that the securement of the parts in their assembled relationship is completed by assembly of the base and housing element.

ment of our invention, the assembly includes a tubular housing element and a cap which are separably connected to one another in such a way that a supporting structure may be gripped there-between.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the single sheet of drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a preferred embodiment of our signal lamp assembly and shows the lamp assembly as it is adapted to be mounted on a suitable supporting panel;

Fig. 2 is an end view of our signal lamp assembly and support, as viewed from the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmenary exploded view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing parts of our signal lamp assembly in partially assembled relationship; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 4-4 of Fig. l, and in the direction of the arrows.

Having reference to the drawing, wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown for illustrative purposes, the reference numeral designates a lamp which, in the embodiment shown, constitutes a sealed gas discharge tube that contains a suitable gas, such as neon, in which a glow type of discharge may occur. Conductors l2 and 13 extend through and are embedded in an elongated end portion 14 of a glass envelope 11. The conductors carry electrode portions 15 of a suitable metal which are supported in spaced relationship within the envelope 11. The conductor 12 has a portion 16 external to the envelope 11 which is electrically connected, as by soldering at 17, to a metal terminal 18. The conductor 13 is longer than the conductor 12, and has a portion 19 bent externally of the envelope so as to extend to a position for electrical connection, as by soldering at 20, to a terminal lead 21 of a resistor 22. The resistor also has a terminal lead 24 which extends through a-leg 25 of a metal terminal'26 and'aninsulatingdisc 27'. I'n'thedis. closed structure, a mass o'f solder'28 is applied totheend of the terminal lead'24 at the faceof the insulating-disc 27 away from that-atwhich the terminalleg 25 is located and extends through. the insulating disc 27 andthe termi nal leg 25 to secure" both the 'r'esistor zz 'and the terminal 26 to the insulating disc 27.

The terminal 26 has a second leg'29 which extends angularly from the leg 25through aned-ge'groove' in the insulating disc 27 and projects beyond the" exterior-race of the disc. A screw 30 is'thread'ed into the terminal leg 29 for attaching a suitable power supply-lead, not shown, to the terminal 26. The terminalr18 is. located-on the" opposite side of the disc 27 from-the tenn-ina1126 and ex'-- tends through an edge groove in the insulating disc} from which it projects beyond the outer face'there'of. "The o'p'-- positeend portionsof the terminallS areolfset from one another through shoulder 31- which rests against thefiin terior face of the insulating disc 27. Also, tl-iec'xteirnal portion of the terminal 18 carries a screw 30 by which a: suitable power supply lead, not shown, maybe attached to the terminal.

ice

The lamp 10 with its terminal conductors 12 and- 13,v

cured: to the .ihsulating disc27 by the solder-'28 and tlie resistor end wire 24, Whereas the terminal 18 is only held in place with respect to the insulating disc 27 by virtue of its connection to the conductor portion 16 of the lamp; the lamp being attached to the insulating disc 27 through the conductor 13, the resistor 22, and the solder 28.

The tubular housing element 32, to which the described sub-assembly is attached, has an opening 33 extending axially therethrough, with an enlarged portion 34 and a shoulder 35 at one end. At diametrically opposed regions, the opening 33 is recessed as indicated at 36 and 37 in Fig. 1, to provide space for the terminals 18 and 26.

cut instance, made of a suitable plastic that can be bonded by heat-sealing.

The end of the housing element 32 away from the subassembly is internally threaded, as indicated at 38, to receive an externally threaded open end 39 of a dome-shaped cap 40 which is made of a suitable transparent or translucent material such as plastic. The threaded end of the tubular housing element 32 is reduced in external diameter, as indicated at 41, to fit within an opening in a support, such as a panel 42, with an external shoulder 44 abutting one surface of the panel. The cap 40 is screwed shoulder 44 and between the cap and the housing element.

The disclosed signal lamp, in one of its adaptations, may be connected across electrical lines that supply power to electrical apparatus to provide a visual indication of whether power is actually being supplied to the apparatus. When line voltage is applied across the terminalsl8 and 26 a discharge occurs between the electrode portions 15 of the conductors 12 and 13, and the lamp 10 glows so as to be visible through the cap 40. The resistor 22 which is in series with the electrode portions 15 limits the current flow through the lamp after the lamp has begun to operate.

The sub-assembly indicated at the right hand side of Eig'fi is adapted to rapid production with a minimum of operations, because there is only one connection of the salute the insulating disc 27, that being by way of the solder 28 and the resistor lead 24. This connection secures the terminal 26 to the insulating disc 27, but the other terminal 18 is merely loosely positioned in the edge groove of the insulating disc. When the sub-assembly is brought together, as shown in Figure 1, with respect to thehousing element 32, the terminal 18 is secured to the insulating disc 27 by being clamped between the insulating disc and the housing element 32 at the shoulder 31 of the terminal 18.

, From the foregoing description and reference to the accompanying drawings, it may be readily understood that we have provided a structure and arrangement of parts for a signal lamp assembly which promote ease and rapidity of production and assembly, and which utilize a very limited number of parts to provide a signal lamp that is subject to ease of installation and replacement.

While we have illustrated a preferred embodiment of our invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and we do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of all changes within the scope of the appended claim.

"-Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

' The combination comprising a glow discharge lamp having a pair of conductors extending therefrom in spaced relationship to one another and connected to spaced electrode portions within the lamp, a disc of insulating material having two edge grooves, a first terminal having one leg extending along one face of the disc and a second leg extending angularlvfromsaid one leg and through one disc groove to a position beyond the other face of the disc, a resistor having lead wires thereon, the resistor being positioned at the side of said one leg of the first terminal away from the disc, one lead wire of the resistor projecting through said one leg of 'the first terminal and through the disc, means on the said one lead wire at the said other face of the disc for securing both the resistor and the first terminal in place relative to the said one face of the disc, means connecting one of said conductors to the other lead wire of the resistor for fixing the lamp to the disc through the said one of said conductors and the resistor, a second terminal loosely positioned in the other I disc groove and extending beyond the disc faces, means connecting the other conductorto the second terminal, a tubular housing surrounding the lamp and resistor, said disc closing off one end of said housing, and a cap closing off the other end of said housing.

Refcrences Cite'd in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Donahoe May 23,

1,656,646 Parsons Jan. 17, 1928 1,664,228 Sparkesca Mar. 27, 1928 1,853,819 Corbett May 17, 1932 1,858,994 .Kirkland May 17, 1932 1,871,748 Schrarnm Aug. 16, 1932 2,246,613 Bigman June 24, 1941 2,321,510 Paquctte June 8, 1943 2,575,821 Linton Nov. 20, 1951 2,599,361 Beal June 3, 1952 2,610,237

Benner 1. Sept. 9, 1952 

